Relay forming additional charge for



March 10, 1964 J. JASSE RELAY FORMING ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR A PROJECTILE File d Jan. 17, 1961 United States Patent 3,124,070 RELAY FORMING ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR A PROJECTILE Joseph Raymond Jasse, Paris, France, assignor to Hotchkiss-Brandt, Paris, France, a French body corporate Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,217 Claims priority, application France Jan. 28, 1960 7 Claims. (Cl. 10239) The present invention relates to additional powder charges or relays intended for the propulsion of artillery projectiles and for igniting the self-propulsion powder of rockets.

Such additional charges usually comprise a casing forming a container, the Wall of which, is constituted of Celluloid or like combustible plastic material, and must have a thickness which is both sufficiently small to permit easy igniting of the grains of powder contained in the said casing, and which is at the same time sufiicient to provide the relay with the rigidity required in order to enable suitable connection of said relay to the projectile.

During transportation and handling operations, it sometimes happens that the wall of the container of Celluloid or similar material is either broken or cracked, thus allowing a portion of the grains of powder to escape therefrom. This results in a variation in the weight of the charges and consequently affects the range of the artillery projectile or the conditions of ignition of the propulsion powder in the case of a rocket. These troublesome occurrences are further accentuated by the thermal shocks to which ammunition can be subjected (successive coolings which are liable to reach -40 C. followed each time by a re-heating which can reach +60 C.).

Moreover, the ignition of the additional charge is effected in a known manner by the evolution of gases promoted by the percussion of a cartridge contained in the tubular, perforated tail of the projectile. When said tail is provided at the extremity thereof with a stabilizing tail-fin unit, the relays usually have the shape of a horseshoe so that they can be engaged laterally, between said fin unit and the projectile body, each relay being mounted transversely astride the perforated tail.

Such a mounting has the disadvantage, however, that the powder of the relay does not completely surround the tail, which thus has the effect:

Firstly of producing a certain dissymmetry in the charge which is unfavourable to its proper ignition; and

Secondly, of failing to permit sufiicient filling of the volume of the powder chamber which is located in the launching tube at the level of the perforated portion of the tail and on which the relays can be fitted.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above drawbacks of known additional charges. It is a specific object of the invention to provide an additional improved charge or relay either for propulsion in the case of an artillery projectile or for ignition in the case of a rocket in which improved charge, the chargecasing comprises an inflammable wall strengthened by a reinforcement of fabric which does not affect the combustibility of said wall and charge.

When strengthened in this manner, the relay casing permits the powder contained therein to be ignited just as easily as if there were no reinforcement, but when the wall of Celluloid or of similar material cracks during Patented Mar. 10, 1964 handling operations, the reinforcement formed by the fabric prevents the crack from enlarging and the grains of powder cannot escape from said casing.

The fabric reinforcement can preferably be of very fine threads of superpolyamide or of any other similar material, and preferably woven in the known manner to prevent the fabric from running or laddering.

According to other features of the invention, the additional charge having a horseshoed shape, the central portion of said charge comprises on one of its faces an additional quantity of powder housed in a small chamber, the wall of which, projecting from said face, is integral with or added to the wall of the casing, while the external dimensions of the projecting portion thus formed are equal, to within the nearest lesser internal clearance, to the gap formed between the arms of the additional charge.

By virtue of this improvement, the projection formed on one additional charge can be engaged between the arms of an adjacent identical charge, in such manner that when these charges are engaged laterally on the tail of a projectile, said additional charges form a charge which completely surrounds said projectile, thereby eliminating the empty space remaining between the arms of the horseshoe relays of conventional shape.

In the accompanying drawings, which are given solely by way of example:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an improved relay or additional charge in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diametrical cross-secti0n taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of said relay;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of a part of said relay, on a larger scale;

FIG. 5 shows partially in cross-section and partially in profile, a plurality of relays fitted in position on the finned tail of a mortar projectile;

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the additional charge or relay C has the conventional horseshoe shape shown in FIG. 1. Said additional charge includes a propellant charge 6 which is contained in a container formed by joining together and gluing in mutual relation the flat edges 1 and 2 of two half-shells 3 and 4, having the shape of a horseshoe when seen from the front as shown in FIG. 1.

These half-shells are constituted by a composite wall which is formed by a wall proper a of Celluloid or of similar plastic material, covered on one of its faces, for example the outer face, with a reinforcement b constituted by a very fine mesh fabric and preferably ladderproof. Said fabric may be made of superpolyamide or other similar synthetic plastic material.

The incorporation of the strengthening means constituted by the reinforcement b can, of course, be obtained in any suitable manner, for example by coating the fabric 12 with a solvent (for example acetone or amyl acetate in the case of Celluloid) which is suitable for the plastic material, the purpose of this solvent being not to dissolve the fabric but to glue the latter to the plastic material, and thereafter applying said fabric with suitable pressure and at the proper temperature against a sheet of Celluloid or other plastic material which is intended to constitute the wall a.

By means of the composite wall which is thus constituted, the half shell 1 or 2 of the relay is fashioned as in the case of a sheet of pure Celluloid.

It should be noted that strengthening threads can also be incorporated in the liquid nitrocellulose during the manufacture of the Celluloid sheet.

The half-shell 3 has the conventional shape of known horseshoe charges, inasmuch as it forms beyond its flat edges 1 a groove or channel 5 which corresponds in shape to that of the horseshoe and is filled with a charge 6 of finely divided powder.

As regards the other halfshell 4, its two arms are flat so as to be brought simply to bear against the edges of the half-shell 3, in order to close the corresponding portions of the groove or channel 5 but, contrary to the conventional charges of horseshoe shape, the half-shell 4 is provided in the central portion of the relay with an externally projecting portion 7 which forms on its internal face a small chamber 8 which is intended to be filled with an additional quantity of powder 9. Said projecting portion 7 is inscribed in a rectangule having a length l in a circumferential direction as shown in FIG. 1, which is substantially equal (with very little clearance), to the clear distance between the two wings of the charge C, while the external face 10 and the internal face 11 are preferably cylindrical and concentric with the center of the charge. The projecting portion 7 extends from the face of half shell 3 a distance substantially equal to the axial extent of the half shell 3 which is the distance from the face and the rear wall thereof as best seen in FIG. 4.

It will be noted that the half-shell 4 is, provided in the middle of the projecting portion 7 with a hole 12 for charging the charge or relay C with the propellant powder. Said hole is subsequently plugged by means of a washer l3 and the half shell 4 is provided with a stiffening rib 14 formed on each of the wings of said half-shell and along the flat edges thereof.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. and 6 which illustrate the assembly of additional charges C C C and C on the tail Q provided with a tail-fin unit E of a mortar projectile R. A projecting portion 7 of the charge C is filled with powder and is engaged between the two arms of the charge C in such manner that the combined assembly of the charges C and C completely encircles the tail Q. Similarly, when the charges C and C are brought together by the displacement of the charge C in the direction of the arrow 1, said charges C and C will thus form another combined assembly which completely encircles the tail Q, on account of the fact that the two arms of the charge C will be fitted astride the projecting portion 7 of the charge C while at the same time, the projecting portion of said charge C will be engaged between the two arms of the charge C It is naturally understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the form of construction which has been illustrated and described, and which has been chosen solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A relay constituting additional propellant means for a projectile having a tail portion, said relay having an axis and comprising, a hollow container, and a propellant charge in the hollow container, said container including an inflammable enclosing wall of plastic material with a fabric reinforcement layer, said container extending about said axis in a plane perpendicular to said axis substantially in the shape of a segment of a ring, said wall including a forward wall portion and a rear wall portion in axially spaced relation, said container including branches defining a radially extending passageway through which is adapted to be passed the tail portion of the projectile when the relay is mounted on the projectile, said container including a projecting portion on the forward wall portion extending axially and located at the same radial distance from said axis as said passageway, said projecting portion defining an inner cavity containing a portion of said propellant charge, said projecting portion extending axially a distance equal to the axial spacing between the forward and rear wall portions, said projecting portion having a shape corresponding substantially to the free space in the radial passageway with the relay mounted on the tail portion of the projectile whereby the projecting portion of an adjacent second relay identical to the first said relay and mounted on the tail portion can be accommodated within the radial passageway of the first relay while the projecting portion of the first relay can be accommodated in the radial passageway of the second relay and the propellant charges of said first and second relays are symmetrically disposed about said axis.

2. A relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plastic material of the wall of the container is Celluloid and the reinforcement is of a fabric Woven from superpolyamide threads to prevent formation of runs or ladders in the fabric.

3. A relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement adheres to one of the sides of the wall of plastic material.

4. A relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement is embedded in the wall of plastic material.

5. A relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein a filling aperture is provided in the said projecting portion, the relay comprising a closing member closing said aperture after filling of the container with said propellant charge.

6. A relay adapted for being mounted on the tail portion of a projectile to constitute additional propellant means for the projectile, said relay having an axis and comprising a hollow combustible container extending about said axis in a plane perpendicular to the axis in the shape of a horseshoe having a middle portion and spaced branches defining a radially extending passageway, a propellant charge in the container, an axially projecting portion on said middle portion defining a cavity containing a portion of said propellant charge, said projecting portion extending an axial distance equal to the axial extent of said container and having a transverse width equal to the spacing between said branches, said projecting portion being located a radial distance from the axis suificient to enable the projecting portion to be accommodated between the branches of an identical second relay while the projecting portion of the second relay is accommodated between the branches of the first relay when said relays are mounted on the tail portion of the projectile and cooperatively surround the tail portion with propellant charge.

7. A projectile having a tail portion and a propellent charge, said projectile comprising a pair of relays constituting additional propellent means for said projectile, each of said relays having an axis and comprising a hollow container, and a propellent charge in the hollow container, said container including an inflammable enclosing wall of plastic material with a fabric reinforcement layer, said container extending about said axis in a plane perpendicular to said axis substantially in the shape of a segment of a ring, said wall including a forward Wall portion and a rear wall portion in axially spaced relation, said container including branches defining a radially extending passageway, said relays being coaxially mounted on the tail portion of the projectile, said container of each of the relays including a projecting portion on the forward wall portion extending axially and located at the same radial distance from said axis as said passageways, said projecting portion defining an inner cavity containing a portion of said propellent charge, said projecting portion extending axially a distance equal to the axial spacing between the forward References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ely Apr. 13, 1869 Ricketts July 24, 1883 Paulus Mar. 24, 1925 Ennis May 13, 1930 Brandt Sept. 1, 1936 Johnson et al Aug. 21, 1951 

1. A RELAY CONSTITUTING ADDITIONAL PROPELLANT MEANS FOR A PROJECTILE HAVING A TAIL PORTION, SAID RELAY HAVING AN AXIS AND COMPRISING, A HOLLOW CONTAINER, AND A PROPELLANT CHARGE IN THE HOLLOW CONTAINER, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING AN INFLAMMABLE ENCLOSING WALL OF PLASTIC MATERIAL WITH A FABRIC REINFORCEMENT LAYER, SAID CONTAINER EXTENDING ABOUT SAID AXIS IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SHAPE OF A SEGMENT OF A RING, SAID WALL INCLUDING A FORWARD WALL PORTION AND A REAR WALL PORTION IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATION, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING BRANCHES DEFINING A RADIALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE PASSED THE TAIL PORTION OF THE PROJECTILE WHEN THE RELAY IS MOUNTED ON THE PROJECTILE, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING A PROJECTING PORTION ON THE FORWARD WALL PORTION EXTENDING AXIALLY AND LOCATED AT THE SAME RADIAL DISTANCE FROM SAID AXIS AS SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID PROJECTING PORTION DEFINING AN INNER CAVITY CONTAINING A PORTION OF SAID PROPELLANT CHARGE, SAID PROJECTING PORTION EXTENDING AXIALLY A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE AXIAL SPACING BETWEEN THE FORWARD AND REAR WALL PORTIONS, SAID PROJECTING PORTION HAVING A SHAPE CORRESPONDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE FREE SPACE IN THE RADIAL PASSAGEWAY WITH THE RELAY MOUNTED ON THE TAIL PORTION OF THE PROJECTILE WHEREBY THE PROJECTING PORTION OF AN ADJACENT SECOND RELAY INDENTICAL TO THE FIRST SAID RELAY AND MOUNTED ON THE TAIL PORTION CAN BE ACCOMMODATED WITHIN THE RADIAL PASSAGEWAY OF THE FIRST RELAY WHILE THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE FIRST RELAY CAN BE ACCOMMODATED IN THE RADIAL PASSAGEWAY OF THE SECOND RELAY AND THE PROPELLANT CHARGES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RELAYS ARE SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED ABOUT SAID AXIS. 